Cap for fruit basket covers



Jan. 21, 1936. s, H SHELLER 2,028,567

CAP FOR FRUIT- BA'SKET COVERS O rignal Filed Sept. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 CAP FOR FRUIT BASKET COVERS 2,028,567

Original F 1 1ed Sept. 16, 1929 2 Sh t ee s-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES CAP FOR FRUIT BASKET COVERS Samuel H. Sheller, Marion, Pa., assignor of onelialf to George R. Hamlin, Washington, D. C.

@riginal application September 16, 1929, Serial No. 392,884. Divided and this application September, 29, 1930, Serial No. 485,240

Claims.

This application is a division of Serial No. 392,884, filed Sept. 16, 1929.

Prior to my invention, the method commonly employed ior packing peaches, apples or other 5 fruit in baskets, has been to use a facing former to support the paper liner for the basket, the liner having first been inserted in a metal tub or shell and placed in an inverted position on said facing former. After filling the liner with the fruit, the metal tub or shell has been removed, following which step, the fruit basket has been placed in inverted arrangement over the llcd paper liner, following Which the basket, liner, fruit, and facing former have been turned right side up, a special reversible clamp being employed for that purpose. The facing former has next been removed and the usual cap or cover for the basket has been fastened to the basket.

The object of the present invention is to greatly simplify and shorten the packing operation and to prevent the tcp layer of fruit in the completely packed basket from contacting with the basket or its cover by employing the fruit basket cover itself as the facing former after first equipping said cover or top With a novel internal cap having a flange which cooperates with the paper liner in an improved manner to enclose the top layer of fruit.

According to my improvements, the ordinary -facing former which constitutes no part of the packed basket, is entirely omitted in the packing operation. The utilization of the basket cover or cap as the facing former, enables the fruit basket, when telescoped over the liner which has previously been filled with fruit, to be directly connected to the cover or top so that when the basket is reversed or set right side up, it constitutes a packed, completely finished, basket.

The novel protective cap which is inserted in the inverted cover or top before the packing operation begins, has the special advantage of preventing that part or layer of the fruit which is iirst packed Within the inverted cover or top from contacting with the cover or the basket so that the fruit will not be bruised. The flange or turned part of the cap overlaps the paper liner and any possibility of bruising is thus prevented because the fruit is completely enclosed by the paper liner and the protective cap.

The basket cover or top, containing the improved paper cap, is first inverted and the rst layer of fruit is laid thereon, preferably in more or less symmetrical fashion as this layer becomes the top layer when the basket is Vstanding upright. The ange or side wall of the paper cap rises to a considerable height in relation to the height o-f this layer of fruit so that the latter will be protected against bruising.

The paper liner is either first inserted in an open-ended metal tub according to present prac- 5 tice, or is placed upon the inverted cover and the metal tub telescoped over it so that in either event, the liner surmounts the inverted basket cover.

'I'he liner is then packed with the fruit and 10 when packing has been completed, the metal tub is removed.

The next step is to telescope the inverted fruit basket over the packed liner, and the following step is to bend the wire loops or handles on the l5 basket and force them over the ends of the slot on the basket cover to securely fasten the cover to the basket. This step, by drawing the cover and basket tightly together, causes the flange or side wall of the paper cap contained Within the 20 cover to telescope within the paper liner so that a sealed joint is provided which prevents the layer, of fruit in the cover from contacting with the basket or the cover.

The final step is to turn the packed basket, 25 with its attached cover, right side up.

The cap which is placed inside of the basket cover, may be of any suitable material, instances being corrugated paper board, compressed paper liber, or the like, with or without grooves, pock- 30 ets, or holders for the fruit.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the tub, liner, cover and improved cap, illustrating the manner in which the cap is used up to the point where theinverted cover and its internal cap has had placed therein the first layer of fruit and the metal tub and paper liner have been placed on top of the cover;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, the liner having been 40 packed full of fruit, the metal tub removed, the inverted fruit basket telescoped over the liner, and the wire handles or loops fastened to the projecting ends of the slat on the cover, compressing the cover and causing the flange of the 45 cap to telescope inside of the liner;

Fig. 3 is a partly elevational, partly sectional view showing the packed basket turned right side up;

Fig. 4 is a detail section illustrating the rela- 50 tionship of the basket cover, cap, tub and liner when in the position shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. V5 is a similar view showing these parts when in the position shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of a part of the 55 cap, illustrating how symmetrical circles or rows of fruit may be packed thereon; and

Fig. 'l is a detail view of the guide or abutment used in Fig. 6.

An ordinary fruit basket top or cover is shown at I having one of its slats provided with the usual projections or extensions 2.

The improved protective cap 3 is placed inside of the top I, said cap having a peripheral wall or flange 4 which is preferably, of greater height than the rim or band 5 of the cover I. This cap 3 may be of corrugated paper board or compressed paper fiber and, if desired, it may have pockets o'r grooves to hold the first layer S of fruit. As shown, the cap 3 has no pockets or grooves. The cap 3 diifers from ordinary paper caps, in that the side wall or flange 4 is, preferably, higher than the band 5 and is adapted to enter the paper liner I commonly used, and, in any event, should overlap the liner 1 thus providing in the packed basket shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, a complete seal extending all the way around the rst layer 6 of fruit and enclosing said layer where the wall 4 and the liner 1 overlap at the point 8. This seal prevents bruising of the first layer 6 of fruit.

The remaining layers of fruit are shown at 9.

In order that the first layer of fruit may have an attractive and symmetrical appearance, this layer may, if desired, be laid by using the guide or abutment I shown in Figs. 6 and 7, said guide having pins or prongs II by which it may be lightly engaged with the cap 3 to serve as a starting abutment for the concentric rows of fruit 5, said rows beginning with the outermost row as shown by full lines and continuing by laying successive inner rows. The abutment Iii is moved radially toward the center of the cap 3 during this operation.

Having laid the first layer 6, the usual paper liners l and metal tub I2 are placed upon the cover I.

The successive, superposed layers 9 of fruit are then laid until the liner is filled.

The tub I2 is now removed.

The usual fruit basket I3 `is next telescoped over the filled liner l' in inverted position, as shown in Fig. 2.

The next step is to bend or fasten the usual wire loops or handles I4 on the basket I3 over the projecting ends 2 of the slat on the cover I provided for that purpose. This action results in exerting pressure or compression on the co'ver I so that the wall or ange 4 of the cap 3 is forced inside of the liner l, effecting an overlapping of these parts as shown at 8 in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. The seal thus provided prevents the lower layer of fruit from pressing against the band or the basket rim.

The nal step is to turn the basket from the inverted position shown in Fig. 2 to the upright position shown in Fig. 3, the basket then setting on its bottom I5.

What I claim is:

1. An independent cover fo'r the open top of a fruit container, said cover being provided with a rim, in combination with an internally arranged protective cap having a peripheral flange or side Wall higher than the rim of said cover, and a fruit container and a liner therefor, said flange or side wall on the cap overlapping the liner when the cover is fastened to the container, thereby providing means for sealing the fruit when the cover is applied to the container.

2. The combination with a fruit container, of an independent cover which is attachable to the fruit container, a liner for the fruit container and a cap seated within the cover, said liner and cap overlapping each other when the cap is applied to the container, thereby to provide a seal around the fruit for the purpose of preventing the fruit from contacting with either the cover or container.

3. An independent cover for the open top of a fruit container, said cover being provided with a rim upstanding from the said cover, in combination with an internally arranged cap having a peripheral iiange or side wall higher than the upstanding rim of said cover, and a fruit container, said flange or side wall on the cap overlapping the joint between the cover and the container when the cover is fastened to the container, thereby providing means for sealing the fruit when the cover is applied to the container.

4. A fruit package which includes a container and a cover, the cover having an upstanding flange or rim, the rim of the open end of the container having approximately the same diameter as the said flange on the cover, and a preformed cap carried by the cover, said cap having a peripheral band sufficiently less in diameter than the diameter of the open end of the container and being of sufficient depth so that the two will telescope when the cover is on the container, thereby overlapping the joint between the flange on the cover and the rim of the container and preventing the contents of the cover and container from Contact with the joint.

5. A fruit package including a container and a preformed cover having a cap assembled thereon, said cover having an upstanding flange near the periphery thereof, which, when in place, forms a point between the rim of the container and the cover, said cap having a skirt of sufiicient depth to overlap the joint between the rim of the container and the fiange of the cover when the cover is on the container.

SAMUEL H. SHELLER. 

